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"Reflecting the sentiments of Saturday's nationwide End Family Separation protests, members of Rise and Resist staged a visual protest at the Statue of Liberty on Independence Day. An ABOLISH ICE banner was hung from the statue, and activists spelled out the same message on their shirts. Dozens of tourists cheered on the activists, and the protest was broadcast via live stream over social media." (Photo: Screenshot/Rise & Resist)
Protesters taking a stand against the Trump administration's cruel and inhumane immigration and border policies were arrested at the Statue of Liberty in New York City on Wednesday, the Fourth of July--a potent and symbolic day to remind Americans of the essential role that those who emigrated and sought shelter in the United States have played in the nation's history.
While one group was arrested after dropping a banner that read "Abolish ICE," a separate individual scaled the statue while police attempted desperately to end the dramatic action.
In their statement, the group said their action on Wednesday was in solidarity with nationwide protests last weekend against Trump's child detention and family separation policies, but was also driven by the following realities:
"ICE has proved to be a threat to our liberty and way of life, and should be abolished," said Leon Kirschner, Rise and Resist member. "They go after the most vulnerable among us, acting without due process to detain people. For-profit companies are making money off family separation. This has to stop now."
The group said via their Twitter stream that an individual who later climbed onto the lower portion of the iconic Lady of Liberty had no affiliation with their group:
Nonetheless, the person who scaled further up the base of the statue spurred the evacuation of the National Park in which the statue sits and stirred breaking news reports on major networks:
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Protesters taking a stand against the Trump administration's cruel and inhumane immigration and border policies were arrested at the Statue of Liberty in New York City on Wednesday, the Fourth of July--a potent and symbolic day to remind Americans of the essential role that those who emigrated and sought shelter in the United States have played in the nation's history.
While one group was arrested after dropping a banner that read "Abolish ICE," a separate individual scaled the statue while police attempted desperately to end the dramatic action.
In their statement, the group said their action on Wednesday was in solidarity with nationwide protests last weekend against Trump's child detention and family separation policies, but was also driven by the following realities:
"ICE has proved to be a threat to our liberty and way of life, and should be abolished," said Leon Kirschner, Rise and Resist member. "They go after the most vulnerable among us, acting without due process to detain people. For-profit companies are making money off family separation. This has to stop now."
The group said via their Twitter stream that an individual who later climbed onto the lower portion of the iconic Lady of Liberty had no affiliation with their group:
Nonetheless, the person who scaled further up the base of the statue spurred the evacuation of the National Park in which the statue sits and stirred breaking news reports on major networks:
Protesters taking a stand against the Trump administration's cruel and inhumane immigration and border policies were arrested at the Statue of Liberty in New York City on Wednesday, the Fourth of July--a potent and symbolic day to remind Americans of the essential role that those who emigrated and sought shelter in the United States have played in the nation's history.
While one group was arrested after dropping a banner that read "Abolish ICE," a separate individual scaled the statue while police attempted desperately to end the dramatic action.
In their statement, the group said their action on Wednesday was in solidarity with nationwide protests last weekend against Trump's child detention and family separation policies, but was also driven by the following realities:
"ICE has proved to be a threat to our liberty and way of life, and should be abolished," said Leon Kirschner, Rise and Resist member. "They go after the most vulnerable among us, acting without due process to detain people. For-profit companies are making money off family separation. This has to stop now."
The group said via their Twitter stream that an individual who later climbed onto the lower portion of the iconic Lady of Liberty had no affiliation with their group:
Nonetheless, the person who scaled further up the base of the statue spurred the evacuation of the National Park in which the statue sits and stirred breaking news reports on major networks: